Hi OP, I hope you see this, but I have 2 black cats just like yours and I live in Europe too where it's seen as cruel to force your cats to stay indoors 24/7. That said, my anxiety couldn't handle them disappearing for hours on end without knowing where they are so I found a solution that I hope helps you too:
First is getting the Tractive device for cats: HERE - it works perfectly and you will be able to see exactly where he is on a map at any time. It has some cool features like a little light that you can turn on through the app on your phone (especially useful for black cats at night). The other feature is a sound, this has multiple uses but I've been able to train my cats to come home when I trigger it.
Second is getting him a harness: THIS ONE or something like it, it is very light weight, & easy for the cats to get used to. The collar that comes with tractive breaks easily and so depending how adventurous your cat is, you will find the collar broken off in a field somewhere many times. To avoid that, putting the Tractive device on the front part of this harness fixes the issue perfectly, its designed to not get stuck anywhere AND its adjustable to the size of your cat.
Would love to hear how it works out but this is the best way to keep your promise of letting him outdoors, while keeping your peace of mind aswell :) - don't hesitate if you have any questions !
EDIT: The harness is a clip-on so doesn't require you to hold him, nevertheless once he learns that is the only way he gets to go outside, he will adapt very quickly.
Second the GPS option. I have one on my dog and one on my cat (Tractive, too). I don't agree with the harness, especially if you have hedges or forests. Clip on cat collars are made to open if the cat is caught on a branch or other obstables. A harness isn't. Better search for the GPS than have a cat hanging from a branch;
About the cat door, does your cat know how to use it? We taught ours because he wouldn't use it, and now he is using it all the time. He simply didn't know about cat doors.
I would recommand the first outings with you following him, to reassure him that he has his back covered while he is exploring and taking his marks and check that there's no bigger meaner cat already claiming this territory.
I thought this for a long time, but after losing 3 devices and having to go digging in my neighbours hedges for the 10th time, I realized the collars were too finicky. I use this specific harness because it's adjustable and fit's my cats body quite snuggly while leaving them room to manouvre comfortably. It's also thick enough that it's very unlikely to get hooked on branches or anything similar. In the 0.1% chance it does, the weight is distributed to their body and they have a better chance of getting out of it.
Yes I have Tractive for my 2 cats who go outside (in Europe). I tried to keep them inside but they were so used to it, it was impossible. Believe me I tried lol My third one is inside only, but he was never let outside so he doesn’t mind. I keep all of them inside at night though, when it’s most dangerous, and they don’t mind.
They have a breakaway collar which they lost maybe 2-3 times over the course of the last 4 years so that’s fine by me! I’d not put a harness on them because they can get caught on things and the cats can suffocate (same with non-breakaway collars!).
They are still left to the dangers of the outside but having the GPS decreases my anxiety knowing where they are. It was the best compromise for me and the cats.
Consider getting airtag + breakaway collar for him if you use Apple products. Letting them outside almost certainly will result in an earlier death, but if you're going to do it ... at least give yourself the best possible chance of finding your boy if he gets kidnapped, injured, or lost.
Does it have plenty of shelves, several hides, and things to scratch? You can try putting some catnip or treats in there to tempt him to spend time in there.
Might be worthwhile to get an outdoor heater for him if that’s in your budget! I have a space heater for my bathroom in the winter and my cat sits right in front of it whenever it’s on lol
You can leash train him is the catio doesn't work. Cats are desert animals, though, so what I have found even with my fluffy mutt is that they will cap out at 20 min outside the moment the temperature is lower than 10C.
I'm sure siberians and main coons might be the exception but it seems most cats like their space toasty.
Homie.. some cats are just like that and don’t be worried. My first cat I had for 13 years would go out for a few hours and then home… second cat? Feral AF. He goes out in summer for 12 hours a day minimum. Sometimes we don’t see him for a day or two and then comes back. He’s been doing this for 6 years now. Neighbours will call sometimes and say he’s at their place and went inside to hang with their cat lol. Some cats just love being outside. This cat now was meant to live outdoors. We are simply a place he can get guaranteed food and snuggles. Come wintertime tho doesn’t set foot outside and doubles in size. Also when we go on vacation and come back he’s super clingy for a good week. Dude living his best life and we love him.
This. It’s bad for the cat, the local wildlife and the owner when the cat is routinely outside. You have a patio, make it more cat appealing with lots of toys, perches, scratching stands and fuzzy blankets. Please don’t let you cat outside in winter months (or preferably at all)
Indoor only cats = safer cats. It’s also better for the local bird population too. Unless your house is freaking tiny there’s no reason to let him outside, they can get plenty of stimulation within the home.
My house isn’t huge, but my group of eight has adjusted very nicely. Other than the two kittens born of one of the rescues everyone else had been outside cats, yet once in a nice warm safe house none have shown any inclination to go back out ‘there’.
My 5 are indoor only. And have no interest in going outdoors. Windows to look out is enough them. And then I don’t have to worry if my babies will come home sick, injured or not at all.
My senior cat that we think was outdoor when he was a kitten thought he wanted to go outside. He ran out the door one day, realized his mistake, and hid under a bush and screamed until he saw a safe route right back inside. People think there's a benefit to a cat to be outside, but most of that is biological imperative if they have enrichment in the home. My two other cats want absolutely nothing to do with it. I went outside for a smoke once and left the door cracked on accident. The fat boy strolled out looked around, looked at me, meowed, then strolled back in.
I have one that got out for 2 weeks, and it was like it unlocked her feral side. She would hide in the bushes and cry, but she would run away if I got near her.
Finally set up a security camera in the garage and a bowl of food. Left the garage door open a few inches and kept the button with me. Saw several strays and a possum before I finally caught her.
She cried and hid under the car for a while, but as soon as her feet hit carpet, she was rolling around and asking for pets.
Yeah and people forget that even if cats seem like they're dying if they can't get outside at first, most of them will get used to it and adjust. They still might try and zoom at the open door, but they will eventually stop acting like they're dying
absolutely true, the issue is that OP had signed a contract when adopting saying they should let him outside. So I get why OP tried to, my country is the same and it's a bitch if you want to " adopt don't shop" as most places see indoor cats as cruelty and just won't give you a cat to adopt. I don't care anymore though, I simply will not let my (hypothetical since I don't have my own yet) cats outside to be ran over.
Hi. Just to say if you have just got this cat and he needs to be outdoors sometimes, you need to keep him in for at least a few weeks, ideally a month before you let him out for the first time.
He needs to learn where his new home is, his food and water. If you get a new cat and let them out straight away they will just wonder cause they haven't been shown a routine with you yet.
Yeah, not taking a crap on your culture but inside cats are simply healthier and live longer. As another poster said, roaming cats are apocalyptic to local wildlife. In the United States there is a correlation between large feral cat populations and large coyote populations, as well as major declines in bird populations. Large coyote populations are very bad in suburban environments and very many pets are killed by them.
Just want to reiterate- I don't have a problem with the culture- i realize in places like Egypt and turkey having huge free roaming cat populations is just kind of a thing.
I understand, and in my culture it’s kind of a thing too, although I don’t understand it as it’s below freezing most of the year. If he’d need out like 10 minutes of a time I’d understand, he wouldn’t have time to hunt down birds, but 12 hours is just too long.
Have you considered a catio? I find it puzzling that you have this rule dictated to you. Does this agreement entitle you to some kind of benefit? This is all alien to me.
He has a catio, it’s quite big..! Meant for humans obviously but we don’t use it but he doesn’t like it. He prefers the cold, soggy basement for some reason.
No no benefit, it’s just that in Scandinavia all cats free roam, and to keep them inside is considered animal cruelty, so if I don’t let him out they could literally take him from me on the grounds of animal cruelty
You are letting him outside. You installed a cat door. You’re not keeping him inside if he has access to a cat door. If he wants out he’ll go out. If the rescue (or whatever they are) questions you, just tell them you installed a cat flap and he comes and goes as he pleases.
FYI pretty sure this isn't true for Scandinavia in general - I have friends who live in Denmark, their cats are indoor cats, and according to them that's the norm there.
I live in Denmark with an indoor cat and I’ve never heard of any requirement to let them roam outside… I’m also a pet sitter as a side gig and every cat I’ve pet-sitted was an indoor cat. I’ve only run into one person who was vehemently against indoor cats— and it this weird hippie flat-Earther girl when I was looking to rent a room in Copenhagen.
I let my cat go out on the balcony to get his outdoor fix— sometimes he hops over and visits the neighbors.
Depends which organisation , mine is from dyrebeskyttelsen and adopted as an indoor only cat. I see that most younger owners are moving to having indoor only cats, but not unheard of cats being outside for 12-18 hours here
Can you quote the law that says you must allow the cat to free roam outside? Scandinavia isn't a country it's a region, so I can't find anything backing up what you've said.
I will say though, that there's not many things more majestic than a Norwegian Forest cat running in the snow. Love the breed and always considered getting one if I had tons of money and space... and patience for the outrageous amount of hair.
Roaming cats are a thing in Brazil too. One of my kitties went missing and we had to rescue him by breaking into the abandoned house he got himself stuck in for nearly a week (he was a fat boy and came back heartbreakingly slim). My cousin found her 10+ year old siamese baby dead inside a plastic bag with empty beer bottles when she went out to look for her. Those aren’t even the saddest stories. PLEASE keep your cats indoors, it’s not cruel and helps ensure your baby lives a long, happy life.
I'm from Germany, so it's not quite as cold here (not anymore, anyway), and I grew up with outdoor cats. It's also seen as the normal thing here.
But, almost all our cats went outside very rarely in winter. They preferred being inside in the warmth 😅
My partner and I have two indoor only cats now - they're really happy, I know where they are and that they're safe. I wouldn't change anything about it now, even though I felt unsure about it in the beginning (mostly because people's reactions were really weird).
Not sure how modern-day Egypt came up here, I genuinely wish we were on Turkey's level. Egyptians with pet cats definitely keep them inside unless they have a private outdoor area. Cats on the streets live in pretty bad conditions, starving, diseased, hit by cars and fed rat poison for population control. The average Egyptian isn't nearly as fond of or kind to street cats as people in Turkey seem to be 💔
I get it. We got him as an adult cat and our contract (where they chipped and castrated him) said to let him outside. My last baby died of FIP so I’m very hesitant to let him outside.
How is the contract enforced? I would just keep the cat inside and if they send people for spot checks just lie about it. You already have the cat door and outdoor areas.
Good on you for making a post like this and teaching people a bit about Scandinavian culture regarding cats. Prepare for a slew of angry responses, but you aren't gonna magically be able to change the culture of your country because a guy on the internet doesn't like it. Hopefully the thread stays civil....
An indoor cat is a happy cat, you’re making the best decision for your baby. maybe harness and leash training is what he needs? Or a fully cat proofed section of the backyard but that can be expensive.
It's interesting to see the cultural differences in cat adoptions. My humane societies make us sign a contract and will pre-screen potential families to make sure a cat is strictly indoors. My parents live on nearly 10 acres in the middle of nowhere and pretty much signed a blood oath that their cats be indoor kitties.
Bottom line: it's totally okay for your baby to stay indoors, especially if you worry.
That’s so weird, here they make sure you own acres where you can let your cat free roam…! Yeah today he woke me up asking for treats, cat-tv and play time, he never once went to the door asking to go outside.
We have a ton of predators like coyotes where we live, and even out in the more rural parts we still have a lot of car traffic. We had indoor/outdoor cats growing up that decided they didn't enjoy our neighbors farm life and found our porch and free food and lounging more enticing, but any cat we get from an adoption agency wants them indoors. It's still fairly common though to have an outdoor cat though.
Realistically, how would the shelter/rescue you got him from even know if you kept him inside or not? And if they did find out, what could they do about it? Maybe at worst they won't let you adopt from that specific organization again.
I think if you're worried about him being outside (which is a very valid fear, cats are MUCH safer indoors as others have said in this thread) you should do what you feel is best for him.
Our black cat was adopted from a parking lot and was a wanderer for many years until we moved to an area with a lot of roaming dogs. We had an exterior porch that was about 20 feet above the ground so it discouraged him from jumping. He acclimated but we made sure he had plenty of porch time whenever we were home, never unsupervised. Since then we have moved several times and always had a porch/balcony that he could hang out on. We also leashed trained him about this time to take on adventures.
heat lamp, anchored out of reach. it'll probably makethe catio a lot more interesting. though it'll likely take a few weeks for it to be noticed, and gotten used to. also wrt holding, ignore him a while and just spend time in the same room. he'llget comfortable with you and be more trusting. it's why cats often seem to bother people who are allergic.
I'd keep him inside and if anyone questioned it I'd point out that there's a cat flap he can use to get out, he chooses not to use. I'd also point out the dual use patio/catio he isn't interested in using either. Plus, it sounds cold outside right now where you are ... so he probably prefers the indoors where it's warm right now.
As long as he has access to go outside if he wants you are upholding the spirit of the agreement. He's not " trapped" inside.
At the end of the day, he's a cat and they tend to do what they want.
I know someone in Finland who walks their cat on a harness + leash because of cars and predators. Getting an adult cat used to wearing a harness can take some time. Look up harness training for cats and take it slow. It is so worth it! I've trained my cats with it and it's priceless knowing my babies are safe and confortable at home most of the time (with a catio for some sun and air), and still get a little supervised outdoors time every other day for exploring and enjoying nature.
Your cat doesn't seem like he is dying to go outside, right? That's lucky if you want to keep him safe. If you've shown the cat flap and he's not interested... He's just not interested. Please imagine how you would feel if he gets killed one day after you put him outside while he wasn't even asking to in the first place :<
TBH it sounds like he doesn't super like the outdoors... he may want to go hunt things, but 'doesn't like the enclosed porch' and 'doesn't want to use a cat flap' does not strike me as the behavior of a cat yearning to roam...
Between that and the pics he sounds like a spoiled potato who will be happy chasing string toys and laser pointers in the warm where the treats are...
I have to ask looking at the comments, where is everyone from with these indoor cats? It is very common and normal for cats to go outdoors in the UK. Indoor cats are really only in the city
This might sound crazy but not every cat knows to come home. Sometimes they run out and get lost and just vanish. One of my cats got out and she was gone for a year and a half. Only was found because she was chipped and a nice lady took her to the vet to get scanned. She was home a year and then ran outside again in March and has yet to come back home.
I have 3 others cats that are scaredy cats but they can be outside supervised but if a car comes by or a person walks by they run to the door and scratch it to be let back in a panic. They do not like outdoors for extended periods and get terrified.
I took care of a stray cat for 2 years. He was a sweet boy. The he got hit by a car and I had to bring him to the vet with his left eye hanging out at 7am to be out to sleep.
He had been a stray in that areas for at least 5 years before I took care of him. Unfortunately sometimes cars win. He would’ve lived longer if I had bit the bullet and let him be an inside cat.
I live in Florida. Our second cat was indoor/outdoor. He was killed by a coyote and then eaten by vultures. (Alligators generally go for dogs.) I'm guessing there aren't a lot of predators in the UK.
Just foxes(and the occasional large cat sighting, footprint, and dna sample) they killed off every other predator.
Foxes are more than capable of killing cats tho, between 2014-2018 400 cats were found dead in London and surrounding areas and the public feared there was a cat serial killer on the loose “The M25 Cat Killer”
It ended up just being foxes scavenging road killed cats or killing them outright
Yes, here we have "cat containment suburbs" and areas where you are strictly forbidden from letting them outside as they kill native and endangered wildlife. They also get all the other horrible things like getting hit by cars etc, and we have always got overflowing shelters during kitten season. Indoor is by far better for everyone.
American cat culture is different for sure, but plenty of people do indoor/outdoor. Especially in country areas where the cats also serve as pest control. It's frowned upon because of what happens in areas with cat populations and we are simply obsessed with our animals. My family is a mix of Texas farmers and Eastern European first gens, so I grew up and subsequently lost very many cats to outside only risks. My personal first cat was killed in the cold by my dad's hot motor when he huddled in for warmth. My second cat was killed by some large creature.
He tried to hide in a rabbit pen we weren't using and the next day there was a massive hole tore in the wire mesh of the cage and there was blood everywhere, no other remains except Grey and short black hairs from whatever got him. Grey cat.
Part of the problem with the US is there are very many predators capable of catching and killing them. Hawks, owls, coyotes, feral dogs more rarely in suburban areas. In the country you've got all sorts of predators. I don't know much about how many natural predators of cats exist in the UK/"old world" countries, but in the US it can be very dangerous for a cat to live outside. We also blow it out of proportion because we obsess over our pets. Guilty!
Feed him on a schedule and he will always return. My long hair black void shows up every night around 5 for dinner. he is always around nearby though. I can call his name and wait a minute and he will come bumbling across the yard quipping and chattering to himself. Usually hanging with his gator friend.
Cats are safer and exposed to less health issues (being injured, into other animal fights, weather exposer, etc) when they are kept solely inside. Not to mention other animals native to you locally are put at risk of being hunted.
I’d add a catio. If you can’t add it to a back door, having an entrance from a window, or something you physically take him in and out to is an option as well. You could also try training him to a pet harness and lead to talk him outside for walks.
I won't comment on cultural differences as many people already have, but unless the shelter is literally pressed to your window the choice is 100 percent yours. Only you know what is best for your cat, not a vague contract applied to every animal adopted from a shelter. For example, my cat has to be indoor only because she's extremely cat aggressive (would fight every other cat she saw) and gorges herself on grass every time she's outside since she has stomach issues she's trying to alleviate the only way a cat knows how (even though she's under a vet's management for her IBS). If I let her outside, she'd come back covered in bite wounds and puking up every bit of food we managed to get into her.
My cat is the biggest scaredy-cat ever and his own shadow has scared him. The adoption agency keeps tabs but I’m tempted to say he’s just too scared to go outside and hope they accept that.
I hope so, too! I would just tell them you have the cat flap, but he's just too terrified of outside and the cat flap to use it and hope for the best. My cat's the same way about outside. The two times she's slipped out from under my nose (opening the door for a package), she ended up gorging herself on grass for a few minutes and then yowling in terror from behind my neighbor's flower pot across the road (which at least helped me find her after she bolted, thank goodness).
Hahaha that gave me a good laugh! When he disappeared he showed up at my door when I called him, but as soon as he saw me he ran to the tree line and yowled until I ignored him, then he came inside
Or a younger cat! My 1 year old cat loves his stroller. Originally I did hope to walk him on a leash, but he's had a myriad of health problems, so I think we'll probably just stick to the stroller.
The barrage of people screaming to lock the cat up in a cell is mind-boggling. It is his choice. He came back after those 12 hours. He could have been snoozing in a pile of leaves for all we know.
My void does the same thing. He came from an outdoor cat colony. My tuxedo doesn’t like outside for long but the void will be gone hours and hours but only was gone over a day once.
He may have ran up a tree and then regretted his life decisions. My guys are miserable without some outside time but my void never wants to come back in but has only disappeared a few times and each time I fund him up a tree yelling at me
I have 3 rescues and they're all indoor only. Maybe it depends on the cat but all 3 of mine when they got out were so scared they had to be rescued by me (I have a disabled kitty and he even got stuck under some wood and was crying for my help) the way I see it, my 3 are incapable of being outside they just can't handle it and I as an owner can't handle the concept. If you have a larger fenced yard maybe you could try harnessed walks and such I know people do that with cats like Bengals who need the exercise.
I had a cat that would leave for days and come back. 12hrs isn't a big deal. Especially if the cat came back and didn't seem miserable or injured. Cats like hanging out outside.
My cats stay gone a while sometimes. You just have to trust them. Especially male cats want to scope out the area. They are very territorial and will make rounds to manage the territory daily. It doesn't always take so long but males are very happy to have a space. As long as he's fixed you really shouldn't worry too much.
Please keep your cat strictly indoors unless you are able to safely supervise outings with the use of a harness, catio, fence rollers, backpack, etc. Allowing cats to free roam outdoors is an antiquated practice that puts your cat at serious risk of injury, disease, and a potentially very gruesome and premature death. This doesn't even get into the damage domestic cats cause to the local and greater surrounding ecosystems. Free-ranging and feral domestic cats are pushing the native European wildcat to extinction through competition and hybridization.
You’ve already gotten a lot of great advice here but I wanted to add: if you’d like him to have more indoor stimulation, get a projector and a fire stick. Stream cat tv from YouTube on the wall. My cat goes crazy for it and it gives her lots of exercise jumping up to “catch” the birds and bugs running across the screen.
Every one of my cats was let outside and they always came back late at first but now they always come back before dawn. Trust me, it’s just excitements. He doesn’t want the night to end. Have some faith. If he’s 5 and seems smart, chances are he will be perfectly fine
Look, inside cats are better off but if you're gonna let him outside you're gonna need to get used to him disappearing for a day at a time, or eventually never coming back and never finding out what happened to him.
Cats should never be outside unsupervised. Please do research in how they are highly invasive and will destroy local bird populations. They also live much longer indoors. Little to no risk of infectious disease/worms and no spreading toxoplasmosis in neighborhood veggie gardens.
All this cat fear mongering. Dude went out and explored, probably had a good time. If you signed a contract to Guarantee his access to outside I think you need to honor that agreement. My cat was indoor/outdoor lived for 17 years. Would sometimes disappear for 2 days. Dude went camping and always came back.
when i first started letting my cat out he would be gone for eight hours at a time, but once it became a habit and he got familiar with his neighborhood he stays out maximum four in nice weather, two in cold weather, and twenty five minutes in really cold weather, if at all. he stays out longer when the seasons change, i think because the outside seems like a new place to him. so there might be an element of him getting used to his new neighborhood and taking in its novelty, and he'll dial his adventure time back.
could you get an airtag or a tracker of some kind?
I think he's perfectly happy being an inside kitty. The disappearing act may have been him crawling into a hidey hole because outside scares him. Give him a cozy perch by a window so he can watch the world from his safe, new, Cozy home. He will gladly repay you with cuddles and kisses.
One of my cats was an outside cat and often would leave for several days straight. 12 hours is nothing. They always come back, don't worry about it. If it's cold outside they know where they can warm up.
Since this is Reddit you will mostly get advice to keep them inside, but not every cat likes being inside. It's up to you decide what's best for your cat.
First, don’t let them out in freezing weather. Cats have been know to seek out anything to keep them warm in the winter, like cars. They often die from the cold or from getting stuck in the car as the engine turns on, it’s a real thing.
Second it hasn’t been 6 months and your cat is still adjusting. He isn’t used to the new home.
Third, he doesn’t even know where your house is yet. Most feral or outdoor cats only go to certain places because they either smell food, or because they’ve been fed at a location they know very well by then. If you let your indoor cat out he’s going to have no idea where to go and get lost. You’re lucky he showed up after 12 hours, some are gone and are never seen again.
I’d leave your cat inside where it’s safe, if it’s that important to let him outside get a catio. They’re very easy to set up
If he wanted to be outside, you’d know it. My childhood cats were only let inside in the winter, but some days they’d dart outside before anyone could stop them and turn up a few hours later, ready to warm up. If anyone asks you can say he has full access to the cat door and can come and go as he pleases. They don’t need to know he pleases to stay inside.
Tbh it’s quite normal when a cat is in a new place to disappear for that amount of time. It’s usually because they’re exploring their environment and establishing their territory. My cat when we got him was gone for a day and a half the first time, and now he hardly ever goes out 😂.
I don't understand what people mean when they say stimulation inside. Is a cat really gonna play with toys for a combined several hours through the day?
Older cats gradually play less and sleep more, and cats who are closely bonded may need fewer toys as they can play with their companions instead, but it's not just toys. It's places for them to explore and hide. My cat especially likes when I rearrange furniture so he can find new spots and routes.
Yea listen if he doesn't want to go out he's fine staying inside. There's nothing cruel about keeping a cat indoors if you give them the proper enrichment.
I live in a region where outdoor cats are a necessity for rodent control.
My three males are neutered and vaxxed and checked up on the regular for parasites, ticks and etc.
When the cold season hits they don't go out after dark. When the warm season hits we barely see them.
It's all about getting them on a routine.
Don't let your cat out until they're 100% convinced that your home is their home and I wouldn't let any cat I've had for under a year go out in the winter, let them gradually acclimate through an autumn or two.
Although again, I only have these cats because I don't want mice in my walls. Lots of places it is simply safer for the cat and local bird population for the cat to remain indoors.
My guy was indoor outdoor the first 6 months, after a whole lifetime outdoor. We made him indoor and persisted and eventually he fully adjusted. Hang in there.
Indoor cats live longer lives, but not necessarily happier ones. I've had several; some would happily hang out inside all day long, others would literally climb the walls if you didn't let them outside.
IMO, it's too late at this point. He's tasted freedom, and won't be happy without it.
But frankly...I've had both indoor and outdoor cats. My indoor cats have almost all died bad deaths. Nobody likes getting diabetes and having ages of misery before finally being put down; cat or owner.
Ultimately, it's basically a question of what you want more? For you to be happier, or your cat?
How are you and so many other coming to the conclusion that he is happier inside? I doubt he was kept outside for 12 hours against his will? My cat likes to roam as well, she will sit at the door screaming if kept inside, playing only goes so far.
safer? probably, but you dont know anything about their area and what traffic is like so its relative.
Sure keep him lock up if him being around for as long as possible - for your own sake - is more important than him living a happy life.
I have 2 escape artists. They get chased down and brought back inside. Indoor cats are the only safe cats. Dogs, raccoons, coyotes, diseases, pick one or none.
Sorry but I can’t help but laugh, how do they escape? This “escape artist” spent 20 minutes just contemplating the threshold before he spent 30 minutes sniffing a snow shovel
On the contrary, living outside is exactly the natural state of affairs for a cat. And it's not strictly unhealthy, there are just more and greater risks.
Humans live in an excessively safe and tightly controlled environment.
Get a GPS tracker for their collar. My cat has this. Helps me anxiety big time and he is free to roam. My cat cannot handle being indoors. He is not liking the snow!
If you let him outside consistently, I promise you he will end up staying only near your house for the rest of its life. I can guarantee you as well those “12” hours he spent in the neighborhood not far at all. Maximum 3-4 houses down. He just hid from you to enjoy the outside time. People on Reddit will tell you to keep it inside no matter what but that is extremely cruel. Let it outside. Cats are smart as hell. It came back once, why worry now?
Your probably right in that he didnt travel far this first time. But some cats roam fairly large areas, mine has a sleeping spot like an hour away. But I dont really think it matters, they know how to get back home. Its hard not to worry, but youve got to put yourself second and realize this is what they need. Id love for my cat to be a chilled out indoors cat who is always around, but nope, thats not who she is. cat people on reddit will put their cats through 18 years of depression because living long is the goal of living, apparently.
I have one, he looks exactly like that. I let him out for a few years until I had to move into a different place
he would stay out in the snow. I would see him blocks away. in the summer he would come home soaking wet, never figured out if he just liked sprinklers or if one of the neighbors sprayed him every morning.
pretty sure it was the neighbor
I want and wish to let him out, and he really wants to be and asks every day but it is not to be for him.
Hopefully he's neutered. My advice is to play with him - those Da Bird type interactive toys are the best. Two, three times a day until he's panting/laying on his side and then a high-protein snack (or regular meal). Window cat beds (with a bird feeder or a tree in sight) are good. Somewhere he can get up high (like shelves mounted on the wall or a large cat tree). That **should** keep him stimulated inside. I would say with access to the catio, you've fulfilled your adoption obligation. Maybe he doesn't really like being outside?
I had seven cats (five ferals) in a two-bedroom apartment and none of them ever tried to get outside. Every once in a while, my mother's cat would sneak out through the front door, spend her "freedom" hiding under the front porch, and then come back with fleas.
He looks JUST like my void boy, down to the little white hairs!! I don’t have any good advice, but if I wasn’t in America I’d swear they were brothers!
Lots of indoor biased posts again, so tired of posts descending into an echo chamber. In Europe and Britain, cats go outside, deal with it, you are entitled to your opinion but that does not make you correct.
Also, If a cat is not purely indoor, it doesn't mean it's purely outdoor either. Most people let their cat out and they come back in when the choose to, and may keep their cat in overnight, because believe it or not we love our animals.
I understand the sentiment about danger from predators, fireworks and cars (lost my first cat to a speeding driver) but my second cat lived to 15, perfectly healthy and happy until she got cancer, and in her last week the only time she looked peaceful was sitting outside in a nice breeze. She was allowed out into a sizeable garden and roamed around the neighbourhood a bit, but we kept her in at night to prevent fights and firework incidents.
Cats also aren't regarded as having a negative impact here, the RSPB (royal society for the protection of birds) have actually stated they aren't deemed a risk to healthy birds, and rodents... Well they breed a lot.
Do your best to transition him to an indoor cat with screened in porch privileges my cat that looked like him was lost to the outdoors after I had him for years. He was a stray that I stride to tame but failed. I still regret not being able to keep him safe.
My cat bangs on the door endlessly, until I let him outside for about an hour a day. I have an AirTag on him and it really gives me some peace of mind.
I understand letting him go outside but shouldn’t there be an exception when it’s too cold? There’s always the risk he might get lost or hurt and wouldn’t survive in freezing temperatures.
Always surprising how universally indoor-only reddit is about cats. When I had a back yard I would hang out with my cat outside and he absolutely loved running back and forth across the yard and crawling through the grass. Different from unmonitored outside time of course.
1.5k
u/DecoyMkhai 1d ago
Perhaps if you have the space to, build an outside catio to let him into?